


Sidetalks

by Ononymous



Series: Undertale Anniversary Requests 2019 [10]
Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Gen, Post-Undertale Pacifist Route
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-29
Updated: 2019-11-29
Packaged: 2021-02-24 20:15:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,901
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21603865
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ononymous/pseuds/Ononymous
Summary: When Asgore unexpectedly picks up his children from school, one of them is suspicious about what's going on. Clearly they've overthinking it, right?
Series: Undertale Anniversary Requests 2019 [10]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1486172
Comments: 4
Kudos: 23





	Sidetalks

**Author's Note:**

  * For [CoramDeo](https://archiveofourown.org/users/CoramDeo/gifts).



The shrill tones of the bell echoed throughout the corridor, followed by a single second of peace before doors started opening. It didn't take long for the corridor to become crowded, a feeling enhanced by some of the school's larger students, but mercifully they were all headed the same way, to the exit. There was something of a traffic jam there, one that less conventionally-limbed students simply bypassed by either oozing through vents or flying through open windows. Both were against school rules, but with the eboulliance of the weekend's beginning, the large quantity of transgressors and the teachers' own desire to get out of the building quickly, it had become a natural rhythm of school life. Three of these students, forced by their bodies to take the traditional exit, managed to extricate them from the main mass of the exodus, following the wall of the building in a shortcut to the car park. This route was also against the rules, but with the few teachers available focused on making sure nobody got stuck in the vents and preventing mid-air collisions, they were low priority.

"I'm just saying," Asriel continued, "that if I were still Flowey I could have gotten out through the vents too, and I'd be free five minutes faster!"

"That would be one plus," said Frisk, scanning their brother for any unexpected green, "but would it be worth everything else?"

He rubbed his arm, a victim of considerable jostling in the chaotic evacuation. "Probably not," he admitted, "but some times size isn't everything."

"Hmph." They looked over at Chara, who hadn't contributed much to the discussion. They were smirking. "Nice to see your happy ending isn't all sunshine and rainbows."

A kaleidoscope of stars erupted from his fuzzy head in defiance. He huffed. "Do you have to have to find the downside to everything, Chara?"

"It is not the downside, Asriel. It is keeping one foot in reality. Just because you can see the clouds now doesn't mean your head should spend all its time there. It would get soaked."

"Ugh, again with the buzzkill?" He flicked one of his floppy ears. "Don't you ever get excited about anything?"

"Well," said Frisk, "I know they _definitely_ don't get excited for ' _Oh! My Love: The Soap Opera_ ' that Mom watches even though Mettatea just announced her breakup with Bratwurst and it was quote unquote 'the saddest thing I've seen on the surface this year'-"

The plot summary was arrested by the storm of daggers Chara now glared at both of them. Asriel tried with all his might not to burst out laughing, while Frisk just smiled. It was a smile that was pure Frisk. Simple, earnest, like a brick wall in revealing nothing else. For their own long term safety, Asriel changed the subject.

"Glad that school's done for a couple of days."

"Yeah," said Frisk, taking refuge in the topic, "it'll be nice to turn off the brain for a while."

"Hmm," muttered Chara, knowing themselves to back down, "I don't think it's a good idea to think of it like that. Or else one day you'll keep your brain turned off so long you forget how to turn it back on."

Asriel's eyes widened. "Humans can do that by accident?"

Chara smirked. "It's a figure of speech, Asriel. Ah, I've missed our little conversations about human anatomy and all the wondrous things physical matter can accomplish."

Asriel rubbed his tender arm defensively. "I totally knew humans can't really explode when they get mad, I was just testing you!"

Chara didn't escalate from a smirk to a laugh. The fact Asriel had volunteered this to Frisk without direct prompting was victory enough. Frisk, however, had other concerns.

"Hey, where's Mom's car?"

The others looked around. "Hey, you're right, it's gone. She parked it in that spot this morning."

"Perhaps she had to run an errand," offered Chara, "she's done it before."

"Or maybe she's arranged a surprise for you."

The three of them turned around at the fourth voice. Asriel's face split into a grin. "Dad!"

"Howdy, son. So, who's up for a surprise stayover at my house?"

Asriel's vain attempt to wrap his arms around Asgore in a hug was one vote of confidence. As was Frisk's eager "Me!"s. Chara however was more reserved.

"What is the occasion?"

Asgore gave a loud belly laugh. "What occasion is needed apart from the fact we're family? I mean, you can go to Toriel's house if you want, but nobody will be there."

"Why? Where is she?"

"Aw come on, Chara," said Asriel, "what's wrong with a surprise now and then?"

"I don't do well with surprises," they curtly replied.

A large fuzzy hand rested on their shoulder. "Chara. I'm sorry that we sprung this on you. I can assure you nothing is wrong, and this was simply meant as a treat for you children."

Chara still looked wary. "Then what are we doing first?"

"QC's. Hot chocolate sounds like a delightful start."

...drat. "Okay, let's go."

Soon the three children were sat alongside each other in one end of the booth. Asgore was in the other by himself. Four steaming mugs had the promised treat. Chara was unable to comment on their cup, having not put it down since they started, but the others had some words.

"This is delicious!" said Asriel. "It's really comforting in how warm it is, but it doesn't burn. The perfect mix of flavour and warmth!"

"I heard no drinker's even been able to not ask for seconds," said Frisk.

"Oh ho?" said Asgore. "Well how about a contest? First to empty their cup gets a second one."

"You're on! _Readysetgo!_ "

Asriel nearly tipped it over his head in his haste, but Frisk and Asgore quickly copied him. No sooner had they started than Chara put down their cup.

"...finished. All your chocolate is **mine**."

"Hepbbblt," splutered Asriel, "th-that's not fair, you were half way done when Dad announced the contest!"

"I was in a fortunate position, and I took advantage of it. It is the way of this world, Asriel."

"I'm afraid Chara's right, Son," chortled Asgore, "I never specified who could participate. Tell you what: we'll finish our drinks, I'll buy Chara their prize, but I'll also buy us another round and we can have the contest properly."

"Deal!"

"Hey Dad," said Frisk, pointing at Asgore, "what's that pink thing on your beard?"

"A pink thing? I'm not..." He fumbled around until he caught it, and gave it a light tug. It pulled at his beard, and he winced in discomfort.

"Dad," said Asriel, trying not to laugh, "did you add marshmallows to your chocolate?"

"Of course not! I mean, maybe one or two pieces... Erm, do any of you have a pair of scissors?"

The laughter filled the diner. A surreptitious _snip_ and Chara's third mug of chocolate later, they soon reached Asgore's house. For as much of a surprise as the sleepover was, Asgore had clearly planned for it, with a small stockpile of snacks, comics, games and movies resting on the table. Asriel and Frisk had a hot debate about what to eat or watch or play first, while Chara laid back and observed, as they always did. Eventually detente was reached and the four of them sat down to play a boardgame.

"Uh-uh," said Frisk, checking the thicker than expected manual, "the rules say you can't pass Blook Avenue without a Glam token."

"And where do I get one of those," asked Chara.

"At an MTT™ pitstop diner. Have to role between five and nine to be admitted."

"Hmph. That is rather arbitrary."

"Well if you don't like this game," said Asgore, "There is that other game called _Monopoly_ we could try-"

" _No no no no no no,_ " came an overlapping chorus of satisfaction with the status quo. So everyone continued to accumulate Glam tokens and passes to the Karaoke bar and pose points before being allowed on the final forty spaces to becoming a Darling.

"Hey Dad," said Asriel, excited, "you're nearly there! If you roll exactly seven you win the game!"

"I do? Goodness!" He gripped the two dice tight in his hand. "Come on, lucky seven, I believe it's called..."

He threw them rather forcefully. Eight eyes stared down at the result. A five and a two! And a one. And two halves of a six.

"Hey, what's...?"

"Oh dear." Asgore examined a few chips of plastic in his hand. "I held onto them too tightly, it seems."

More raucous laughter at his expense, it was decided that was Darling enough for him to win by default. With that, it was time to watch a movie. Asriel insisted on have a go at making the popcorn, and he did a fine job, leaving it only slightly burnt. It was a comedy about a trial in a courtroom.

"That was an odd trial," mused Chara after the end.

"What do you mean?" asked Frisk.

"Would a judge really tolerate all those antics? And all that evidence being submitted at the last minute? It all served to prejudice the jury one way or the other. There are procedures for all that. In bypassing them, every attorney in that room would have been in trouble and lost their license."

"I think it was Sans that explained it to me, Chara," said Asgore. "He said 'never let the rules get in the way of a good joke'. Stories don't always turn out as they would in life."

Chara looked like they wanted to protest, but thought better of it. "So what are we doing now?"

"Well, you three are going to bed now."

"Awwwww..." moaned Asriel.

Asgore winked. "I never said anything about going to sleep, however. No curfew tonight, stay up as long as you like."

"Yessssssss!" He bounced about like the floor had become a trampoline. "I'm gonna jump on my bed and read comics and stuff my face with these snacks and tell you guys jokes until dawn! This party will never end!"

He made it until 11:43pm.

* * *

Chara had always been an early riser, and despite the late night today was no exception. They crept down the stairs into the dawnlit living room, hoping to snack on some leftover popcorn before breakfast.

"Howdy, Chara."

There was Asgore, morning tea in hand. He'd been looking out the window before they came, and after acknowledging them returned to it. He made no gesture, but Chara sat beside him anyway. His posture told volumes.

"I should have known this was all a ruse."

"A ruse?" He looked down at them, and shook his head earnestly. "I just knew you'd be up first. I still remember how you slept back in the Underground."

"True. Now that you mention it, didn't you used to lie in a little?"

"Huh, you're right. I almost forgot. It's been a while since I could, though."

He sipped calmly, Chara trying to read what he was getting at. "Still, this weekend isn't entirely about spending time with the three of us. You had an ulterior motive. I knew it."

Asgore was not troubled by the accusation. Instead he handed them the nearly-empty bowl of popcorn. They accepted and popped a few pieces into their mouth. "I'm still spending time with you, am I not?"

"Yes, but..." that irrational anger at any kind of deception bubbled up. But then Asgore reacted in a surprising way. He recognised it. He knew exactly how Chara was feeling. He'd been naive in the Underground. They'd all been naive. But no longer. Chara had been an excellent instructor. He exhaled softly, understandingly, at their mounting frustration, and the act allowed them to evapourate.

"I see this was probably the wrong approach," he finally admitted, "that I perhaps should have taken you to one side and discussed this directly. But I didn't want to single you out. Just wanted to do what I've done with Asriel, when he returned as well. That had been a public affair, it always would have been with how his role in the story had shaped out. But as I was reminded when I sprang this sleepover on you, that is not your style. I thought... this was the best way to have a private conversation."

Chara tilted the bowl this way and that, watching the unpopped kernels swirl around. They put it down on the table, next to the still-unopened _Monopoly_. "Funny. For all my insistence Asriel stay in reality, my own head was in the clouds. Everyone deceives sometimes. Even monsters. And sometimes there might even be a reason to do it. It still hurts to be on the receiving end."

"Yes. And I apologise."

The silence was tacit acceptance of his contrition. But that loathing of deception wouldn't let go. It nudged their spite to action. "You know it's an act, right? Asriel's 'oh golly gee' shtick? He probably sleeps less than you do, most nights. I'm surprised he's asleep right now. And I see it when we hang out, when he thinks nobody is watching. A look. A scowl. Despite everything, in many ways he's still that flower. He's had a lot of practice at hiding, but I was always good at seeking. He's laying it on thick."

Chara wanted to find the moment. The moment where his hopes of a restored family vanished in a puff of smoke as the scam was exposed. The moment where they could justify to themselves that returning was a mistake, that all they could do was hurt. The moment never came.

"Oh, he's absolutely laying it on thick," agreed Asgore, "I've learned a thing or two about putting up a mask, myself. His is more... ebullient than mine, but depending on how you look at it he may feel he has more to conceal. To protect others from."

Chara was taken aback by the certainty in his voice. He really wasn't naive anymore. Not in this field anyway. "Then you know? That you're living a lie with this happy family thing?"

"No." Simple confidence radiated from the answer. "There is a difference between pretending because of what you think _others_ want you to be like, and because of what _you_ want to be like. I can feel them, the emotions behind his actions. It is an act, but it's because he wants to be that way. Why shouldn't I help him achieve that? Eventually the difference between pretending and being... well, Gerson could probably phrase it better. Ruder, for certain."

They smirked, against their better judgement. "So then, what's this all about? Why did you want to corner me?"

"To apologise, of course."

He drained the rest of his tea, allowing them the space to process what he'd just said. Chara focused their attention on the disc of the courtroom movie lying atop its case.

"It's been hard, taking the last few years in. You think things are a certain way for a hundred years, and even though it's not a pleasant way, there's a comfort in knowing. Then it is all upended. Who did what, why they did it, completely different than what you thought. Where does one start? Toriel and I have discussed it at length, and we've barely scratched the surface, but among everything else I just had to lay out my own feelings. Chara... I'm sorry I couldn't help you with your problems. That none of us could. That we never even saw it. That the only way forward you saw... was revenge."

The cards were on the table. Was it a winning hand? Who could say, but it wan't one you could ignore. Chara looked up into his peaceful smile and laid out their own. "I still don't think you understand. I don't think you ever can, though you'd be closer now than you were then. Even if you knew you couldn't have helped, and I'd have done it anyway. I do have agency outside your idea of how family works."

He chuckled. "You are right. Probably about all of it. But parents have a little leeway in thinking irrationally when it comes to those in their care. No doubt I've... abused that rather heavily. You may not feel like I owe you an apology, but I feel that way. And so I offer it. That is all I'll say on the matter unless you want me to do otherwise."

Chara picked up the bowl and fished for a few more pieces among the kernels at the very bottom. "Well thank you, Asgore. And yes, I'm calling you that regardless. You may not feel like that's right, but I feel that way."

"A fair trade," he concluded.

"This does explain," they continued, "why Toriel has been giving me some side-eye glances. I think she wants to do something similar to what you've done, but hasn't found the moment."

He nodded. "Definitely. But when she gets back from the sock convention I'll tell her to just be direct with you."

"...I'd appreciate that. And I shall be just as direct with her."

"Very good. Now," he clapped his hands together, "how would you like some more hot chocolate before the others wake up? I have planned to take us to an amusement park today."

A satisfied smile spread across their face. "No marshmallows, please. For your own sake."

**Author's Note:**

> Original suggestion: Frisk, Asriel and Chara have a sleepover at Asgore's house.
> 
> Pastebin version: https://pastebin.com/pHGHuXUk
> 
> Let me know what you think, and thanks for reading!


End file.
